NEWS RELEASE
MARIPOSA HOUSE HOSPICE
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Mariposa House Hospice has a name that is significant for two reasons.
One is that the City of Orillia is known as Mariposa in Stephen Leacock’s Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town and there are many businesses (and a folk festival) that bear this iconic name. The second reason is that Mariposa means butterfly in Spanish and the butterfly is a perfect symbol for hospice care. It symbolizes that transitions can be both challenging and beautiful, and that there is a season for everything.
Our local hospice residence is situated in Severn, just outside of Orillia’s municipal boundary, surrounded by forest. Residents in all the surrounding communities (Orillia, Severn, Ramara, Oro-Medonte, and Chippewas of Rama First Nation) can access quality end-of-life palliative care in this welcoming, home-like space where services are offered at no cost.
The grounds feature walking paths, a comfortable outdoor seating area, and a variety of gardens. An important component of this serene outdoor setting is the butterfly garden.
The team in charge of the butterfly garden includes local naturalist Bob Bowles, former board member Dr. Si Lowry, and owner of Scott’s Garden Centre Alex Scott, along with members of his staff.
They have recently added a second butterfly garden and are planning a third for next year.
Why are butterfly gardens important?
“Pollination is important for flowering plants to ensure seed production. Without pollination, plants can’t produce seeds and many of these seeds are food for humans and wildlife. Plants can be pollinated by several means like wind, birds and mammals, but the most important pollinators are insects like butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, wasps and bees,” shared Bob Bowles, a local award-winning writer, artist, photographer and naturalist.
“Many species of the beautiful butterflies you see in the garden not only pollinate these special garden plants, but many use them as host plants to complete their life cycle when in the caterpillar stage, feeding on the plants. For example, butterflies like the monarch would not be able to live and complete its life cycle without milkweed plants,” he added.
Why did Scott’s Garden Centre choose to support hospice and participate in this project?
“When we were approached by Mariposa House Hospice in early 2020 it was an honour to be part of a project like this from start to finish. To come here every year to enhance the landscape of the property is something our team does with great pride,” shared Alex Scott. “There are families and patients there every day, holding onto their loved ones and making final memories. We hope that some of those memories involve enjoying sights of the gardens. Something like this might add a little light on their difficult day.”
When asked specifically about the butterfly garden project, Scott shared that “all of the pollinating plants we have planted in the gardens are an asset to pollinators, and we hope residents and visitors at the hospice will be able to enjoy spotting unique pollinators when walking the property or from their room. It was an easy decision to donate the plant materials required to make this project happen.”
For more information, or to learn more, please visit www.robertlbowlesnaturecentre.com.
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